Simple Little Bookworm
by ScottishMelody
Summary: 'Simple little bookworm, buried underneath is the sexiest librarian. Take off those glasses and let down your hair for me.' Embry/OC imprint story.  Summary and title are lyrics from Librarian by My Morning Jacket.
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone! This is my first fan fiction ever. I've written stories before but they were mostly original. But I've recently become obsessed with Embry so I thought a nice little imprint story would be wonderful! This is set in the future, 2014 I would say. This makes Embry 25, my OC character 24, and Claire 11. Hope it all works out properly for the plot.

Warning: I have never read Twilight and have really only seen the first movie. Yes, blasphemous I know but I don't like the books much and the movies are just too over acted. So I am terribly sorry for those purists out there who know the story far better than I do. I tried my best to stay true to what I have read in fan fiction here before but let me know if I've made a huge mistake or changed too much. I'm not here to rewrite Twilight or bash it at all. To each their own.

~Scottish Melody

Myrna inhaled deeply, the scent of old books filling her lungs and instantly setting her at peace. She continued to restock the shelves, taking note of each book and smiling as she found her favourites. These were her greatest companions, and she treated them with a tenderness unknown to others.

She had come to La Push not long ago, attracted by the reservation and its rich history. As a social historian she loved nothing more than understanding the past of various cultures, the nuances of life that many overlooked. But she specialized in Native American tribal legends. Myrna revelled in the well-crafted stories that had stood the test of so many generations. The history, the strong beliefs, the faith, it all attracted her to ancient legends and mythology, of the trust in higher authorities that had powers beyond her imagination. Who couldn't love such romantic notions? La Push was the perfect destination. She was a fan of the cold, loving to snuggle up to a warm blanket over basking in the sun and she had a great respect for Quileute culture. La Push had everything to offer her, a part time position as the librarian for the La Push Reservation Library with the added bonus of paid time set aside to research the history of the Quileute tribe. She had been here for a few months, already having settled in an almost abandoned house on the outskirts of La Push. It was secluded and surrounded by woods, just what she had hoped for. Myrna had spruced up the house, making it her own and filling it to the brim with her books. In the short time she had been researching she had already become a self-professed expert. She loved the legends and had read them over and over. No matter how many times she had read them, the Quileute stories had amazed her. They were so powerful.

Myrna returned to her desk, waiting for someone to come in and need her assistance. There was no one in the library, it being a lull. But then again, isn't the library always this way? Very few love the library like I do, she reasoned. She sighed, deciding that it was a lost cause and began to research. No time like the present to get some extra work done. She opened her book, _Quileute Legends_, and began to while away the time until her shift was over.

Lost in her book, Myrna was altogether unaware of someone standing in front of the desk, a load of books in his arms. He cleared his throat a bit, trying to get her attention. Myrna, startled, dropped her book and looked up at him. He was tall. He was _huge_. She was unprepared for such a huge man to be in the library, carrying around a pile of books that looked like bed time stories…

'I'm sorry. Was lost in my old little world,' she explained as she righted herself and picked up her book off the floor. Gently placing it to the side, she opened her arms to receive the bundle of books. 'Returning I assume?' she asked with a hint of a smile. He nodded sheepishly, tossing her a large toothy grin. He handed over the books and as she scanned them she tried her hardest to supress a chuckle. _Ella Enchanted_ popped onto the screen and she couldn't hold it in any longer. 'Good choice' she said, beaming at him. He smiled. 'They're for a friend's daughter. She's obsessed with Gail Carson Levine. She couldn't put it down,' he explained good naturedly. 'Fair enough. They are classics. I went through a similar phase.' She threw him a grin and finished her task. 'There you go. All returned on time.' He smiled at her and thanked her. His eyes lingered on the book she had put down earlier. He raised an eyebrow. 'Oh. Quileute legends,' she explained. 'I'm sort of your resident historian. I work here part time and research the reservation, its history and its culture, in my spare time.'

'Oh,' he replied, a bit dumfounded that anyone would actually want to _research_ his tribe and their legends. Most people shrugged them off, fascinations of children without any real merit. He noticed she seemed different though. She didn't underestimate the legends. She looked like she respected them. But then again, she was a historian. It was her job to respect the legends. 'My name's Quil,' he told her after a moment. 'Myrna,' she replied with a smile, 'Myrna Adalon. Nice to meet you. Need some recommendations on more books for your friend's daughter?' I can give you a few.' He agreed, and she dragged him through the aisles, chattering on and on about this book or that. After finding a few she thought the little girl would love, she brought him back to the desk and scanned them in. As she was finishing, she heard a commotion from the entrance. Two more huge men entered the library, shoving each other in a brotherly way and laughing. She frowned a bit. Sure there was no one else here but still, it was a library and it had rules. Quil noticed the frown as he heard his friends enter. He turned to them, shushing them and turned back to Myrna. 'Sorry for that. They can get a bit rowdy sometimes.' He smiled at her apologetically. She shrugged. 'It's alright. Not like there is really anyone here to disturb.' She laughed and handed him his books and the two men made their way to the desk. Myrna looked up, hoping they would leave so she could return to her research in peace. In that instance her eyes connected with the man on the right, who was giving her such an intense glare she wanted to shrink away, retreat to the racks of books behind her and stay out of his way. She just averted her glance, gave Quil his receipt and went to say goodbye. But he beat her to it, introducing her to his friends. 'Hey, this is Jake and Embry.' 'Hello,' she mumbled. Giving a name to the man with the glare did not help her unease. This 'Embry' character set her on edge and she didn't like it. Quil noticed the tension and ushered them out, waving behind him as he left.

What had just happened?, she thought to herself. What had I done to upset him? He did _not_ look pleased. She reasoned that she would never know, and was slowly losing interest in finding the answer. Why do I care? I probably won't ever see him again. Thank God. If I never see him again it would be too soon, she thought as she supressed the memory of his glare and shuddered. Myrna sat back down, hoping to lose herself in the legends and forget all that just happened.

Outside, the boys were considerably less rowdy than they had been a moment ago. 'What the hell was that Embry? Freak the girl out why don't ya!' Quil barked, slapping Embry upside the head. Embry just shrugged in return, not knowing exactly what to say. He couldn't understand what had just happened to him. He had an idea but he didn't want to admit it. Had he just imprinted? Embry just sighed. He had set eyes on her and it was like the world stopped. Everything went blurry in his peripheral vision and all he could see was her face, her shining green eyes, her warm smile. She had her black silky hair in a messy bun held together by black and red lacquer chopsticks with little silver bells at the end. A small smile crept onto his face. And then there was her scent, a potent mix of the woods, of old dusty books and of lilies. It was such an odd combination but it seemed to fit her so well. Embry was in shock at all that he felt. He had such a rush of emotions when he thought of her. It was intoxicating but entirely overwhelming. He shook his head to clear his thoughts only to hear Quil yell at him again. 'Answer me man. What the fuck was that?'

'I think I imprinted' he muttered, trailing off. 'No way…on the librarian?' Quil yelled, laughing loudly. Jake smirked. Embry could tell he had noticed the moment it happened and had been waiting for Embry to admit it to himself. Embry gave Quil a shove. _She's not just a librarian…_ he thought.


	2. Chapter 2

The three boys made their way to Emily's, Quil with a pile of tween girl books under his arm, Embry with a dazed look on his face as he replayed the afternoon's events, and Jake shaking his head at his friends. Imprinting made them do the strangest things, he thought. They walked into the house, filled to capacity with people. The group was one big family, the pack members and their imprints, and they always gathered at Emily's. Once they stepped through the threshold Sam was yelling at them over the din of the group's conversations. 'Patrol at 8 sharp guys.' Embry merely nodded, too preoccupied with thoughts of his imprint to really care. That's when he realized he didn't even know her name. Quil had introduced them to her but she hadn't returned the gesture.

Quil had already given the tween books to Claire, eliciting a squeal of delight and a big hug which he gladly returned. Breaking their moment Embry came over and in a hushed whisper asked what the librarian's name was. 'Her name's Myrna Adalon. But you're gonna have a hard time getting her to talk. She wasn't too pleased with your loud entrance and even less pleased when you scared her shitless by glaring at her. I mean I know you were imprinting man, but could you at least have tried to look a bit less menacing?' Embry was confused. 'What do you mean? What'd I do?' He asked in a rush, worried he'd dashed any chances with her before he even knew her name. Quil chuckled. 'Don't worry dude, I swear it's not as bad as I'm making it out to be but you sorta just glared at her. I think she thought you were mad at her for some reason. Might wanna sort that out before you confess your love and all that.' Quil was teasing him, Embry could tell. But at that moment all he could think about was that he'd scared her. _She's never going to want to speak to me now_, he reasoned. _She probably thinks I'm a psychopath_. Quil continued, telling Embry about her research into Quileute legends and culture. He smiled slightly. She was perfect.

Myrna finished her shift at the library, hopping into her beat up car and making her way home. She climbed her rickety steps into the house and settled in for a night of research. She couldn't get that guy out of her head though. It was just so _strange_. _Who glares at someone who they've never met? What could I possibly have done to offend him?_, she thought. 'If anything, I should be the one annoyed at him. He ruined the peace of my library' she grumbled. But she was more annoyed with herself. Myrna was convinced she had gotten over the incident, believing that she would forget the whole scene and just return to her life but it nagged at her. It was a mystery that she wanted to solve but had no tools in which to do so. She sighed, frustrated, and returned to her work. Before she knew it it had gone dark. She got up from her desk, determined to get a meal in her before going to bed early. She made some soup quickly and took it to the back porch, sitting on the steps and sipping it slowly. Myrna just sat, contemplating. She had been in La Push for 3 months or so now and she was happy, but she knew something was missing.

She was lonely and she knew it. Her research could only sustain her for so long before she would succumb to her own sadness. Myrna was never one to make friends easily, shying away from the company of others in favour of the security of books. It was irrational and a bit dysfunctional she knew. But she wanted to make La Push her home, and to do so she needed to meet some people. _But where to start?_, she thought sadly. She looked off into the distance, into the forest that was her backyard and set about formulating a plan. But as she stared, she saw something dart across the tree line. Curious, she pulled her blanket around her tighter, like a shawl, and stepped closer. Out of nowhere a huge, dusty gray wolf rushed at her. She jumped back, ready to bolt towards her backdoor when it gave a bark and started to wag its tail. _What the hell?_, she thought, panicked. It had to have been at least 3 times larger than any normal wolf. Against her better judgement she inched closer to it. It hadn't attacked her, like she assumed it wanted to and it looked almost playful, like it wanted to play fetch or something. Besides, wolves were her favourite animal. When would she ever get a chance to see it this close? And this one seemed willing to deal with her without biting her hand off…she hoped.

Edging closer, she slowly put her hand on its gigantic head. It barked loudly and she withdrew her hand at lightning speed, worried she had lost some fingers or a limb but looking down she saw all fingers were intact. When she looked back at the wolf its head was down, ears pressed back against its head. It looked almost…apologetic? She was going crazy. 'This is what happens when you spend too much time alone' she muttered to herself. 'You go insane and pet oversized rabid wolves.' None the less she pet the wolf again, slightly stroking behind its ears and earning a low purr from the creature. Myrna let out a giggle, thoroughly enjoying the gorgeous beast. 'You're magnificent,' she murmured.

Eight pm sharp the pack was assembled and phasing out into the forest for patrol. The one thing Embry hated about the shared link between the pack was the lack of privacy.  
><em>Ouch Embry. Bit cruel<em>, thought Seth.  
><em>Sorry. Can't censor my thoughts<em>, Embry replied a bit sheepishly. But his mind quickly turned to Myrna for the first time during the patrol, and suddenly the whole pack was in an uproar.  
>Congratulations were thrown at him, but there were a few disgruntled pack mates.<br>_What the hell man? Why didn't you tell us?_, thought Sam, a bit ticked off that Embry would keep this information from the pack. They had all just been at Emily's. He should have said something then!  
><em>I was trying to get my head around it. I mean I don't even know her. These obsessive thoughts about her are creeping me out. I want my thoughts back. I wish she wasn't in them at all<em>¸ but as he thought it he immediately retracted it. It was his imprint. He never wanted her out of his thoughts.  
><em>Ugh gag. Seriously guys. You all make me sick<em>, Seth thought the tone of his thoughts evidently expressing his distaste for all the sappiness.

Before he could even formulate a reply Embry caught her scent, the scent of the woods, of old books and of lilies. He took off quickly, ignoring everyone warning him, ignoring their calls that he was endangering the whole pack. He darted through the woods towards a lone house on the edge of the trees. As he made it into her backyard, he saw her there, standing in front of the tree line searching it. He jumped out, too excited to see her to realize what she must be thinking as a huge wolf barrelled towards her. She moved back slightly, startled. But after some thought she seemed to warm to him and gingerly pet his head. Beyond ecstatic, he barked loudly wagging his tail and showing her he wasn't a threat. However she felt the opposite, and retracted her hand quickly. He bowed his head a bit, hoping she wouldn't be too frightened to pet him again. He liked her cold hands threading through his fur. She muttered about going crazy from being alone and petting rabid wolves. He laughed but couldn't shake off the sadness of the comment. She finally pet him again and scratched him behind the ears. He let out a low purr, not realizing it until she started to giggle. 'You're magnificent,' she murmured.

She turned to leave, having had enough of the danger of petting a wild wolf and moved back to her house. Embry whimpered, slowly scampering behind her, trying to show her that he didn't want her to leave so soon. Myrna turned around and smiled at the beast, sitting on the bottom step of her back porch. He trotted over, wagging his tail in appreciation. She smiled as he set his head in her lap. She couldn't understand why this wolf was so affectionate. _It must have been conditioned to humans_, she thought trying to reason away the oddity of the situation. She continued to pet his head, staring out into the trees until he nudged her arms a little. She just smiled sadly at him. 'I'm alright. Don't worry about me **cuilean**,' she assured the large beast, smiling at her name for it. It was anything but a puppy. 'I'm just lonely is all. Can you keep a secret?' she asked it foolishly. But as she looked in its deep brown eyes she could almost see it agree, agree to be her secret keeper if that was what she wanted. 'I don't fit in here. I love this area, love the history and it's amazing for my research but I've got no ties here. No friends, no boyfriend…' She let out a bitter laugh as she said this, and Embry's heart ached a little for her. She seemed so alone. He wanted nothing more than to fix that for her. '…as you can tell by the fact that I'm pouring my heart out to an overgrown wolf in the forest.' With that said, she gave the beast a final tap on the head and got up to leave. Embry let her, noticing she needed some time, some space to work through her feelings. He ran away and phased back without a word. He had to make her see she wasn't alone.

_**Cuilean – puppy/pup in Scottish Gaelic**_

**A/N: **So I thought I would try at first to make him reluctant about imprinting. I mean, it must be a shock for the view of your world to shift suddenly to one person you really don't know. But let me know if you liked it. And when it comes to the whole shared thoughts thing, I've reasoned that when she starts to pour her heart out to him it's after the pack has patrolled and phased back to human. So that way she's not talking to the whole pack but to Embry. It's a short patrol…..in my Simple Little Bookworm world :)

Also, criticism would be lovely, especially on layout. I'm new to all of this and for me it's easier to write if it's in block paragraphs ending with lovely little short statements. It's just how I write but I can see that it might not be so easy to read. I'm open to any suggestions!

~Scottish Melody


	3. Chapter 3

Embry woke up a ball of nerves. It had been a few days since he had met Myrna and he and Quil had hatched a plan to get her involved in the pack and the imprints. At least if she made some friends in the group it would make her happier while letting him get near her. As it was, she hardly knew him. But she had confided in him without knowing it each night. He couldn't help but visit her. Embry wanted so badly to reveal himself to her. If anything she would take it the best. She was an expert. But as he thought about it he realized that the news might prove harder for her to understand than others. Myrna was a woman of cold hard facts. She may like romantic legends, but to her they were just that, romantic notions that had no place in reality. Hopefully his plan would even the playing field between them.

Upon entering the library he was shocked to see it full. _What was going on?,_ he thought to himself. He couldn't really remember a time when the library had been so crowded. He looked past the little crowd towards the podium that had been set up. There was Myrna, reading aloud from an old looking book as the people looked on listening eagerly. She neared the end of the story of the cold-ones and everyone clapped politely. Myrna looked obviously uncomfortable being in front of people but smiled shyly never the less and moved towards her seat at the help desk. The boys made their way to her as the crowd started to disperse. 'So what was that?' Quil asked amiably. Myrna looked up at him, throwing him a small smile. 'It was just a book reading. I read the Legend of the Cold-Ones for this week's event.' Quil gave her a pout. 'You should have told us. Claire would have loved it!' 'Claire..?,' she asked. 'Oh, my friend's daughter, remember? The one I got all those books for.' She shook her head at him slightly. He really doted on his friend's kids it seemed. 'Of course, sorry. I didn't know her name,' she said politely. With that lull in the conversation she assumed they would leave, or do whatever it was that they had planned to do here in the library. They didn't, so she rummaged around her desk and found a flyer. 'Here. I'm reading the shape-shifter legend in two weeks. Stop by and bring Claire.' She gave him a smile and made to leave. 'You're really helping this library. I'd never seen it so crowded,' Embry said shyly. She glanced him over and nodded. 'I try,' she said curtly, still miffed about their last encounter. Quil got an idea and glanced over to the dissolving crowd. 'I think I see Billy. Be right back.' With that he ran off into the crowd, locating Billy and giving Myrna and Embry some time to talk.

They did anything but talk. She had no idea what to say to this guy. Embry was nervous, she could tell. _Ha_, she thought smugly. _Look who's nervous now! If anything I should be the nervous one. I'm the one who you psychopathically glared at yesterday for absolutely no reason! _

After a few more minutes, Embry broke the silence. 'Hey, I'm really sorry about yesterday. I don't know what came over me. I was just in a horrible mood.' He said it softly, genuinely apologetic. Myrna knew she couldn't hold a grudge, he seemed sorry enough. 'It's alright. We all have our bad days,' she said, hoping to lighten the mood. 'How about I make it up to you? We're having a huge bonfire on First Beach tonight. Wanna come? Everyone will be there and you can meet some of our friends and get to know us.' Myrna realized his smile was infectious. It spread throughout his face, lighting his eyes and giving him a childlike innocence. She couldn't help but return the smile. 'Yeah sure. I'd love to.' She was genuinely pleased. She'd waited for this, for someone in La Push to take the first step towards trying to be her friend. Embry seemed kind enough, and after getting over the earlier glaring incident she noticed he wasn't all that bad. 'I've gotta get back to my work,' she said, motioning to the stacks of loose paper and old dusty books. 'What time should I get there?' she asked. 'Seven should be good,' he smiled again and she couldn't help but giggle. He looked like an overgrown kid on Christmas. It was so endearing.

When Embry said huge he was greatly over exaggerating, Myrna thought to herself as she walked towards the bonfire. She assumed it would be a big thing, with a lot more people. But really she could only see Embry, Quil, their friends, and their friends' significant others. She slowed her walk, suddenly not really wanting to be there but to be reading somewhere quite, somewhere away from all these people who looked so close and tight knit. Myrna felt out of place, like she was intruding on a family get together. She had consoled herself earlier, when she was trying to pluck up the courage to go to this bonfire in the first place, that there was safety in numbers and that if anything were to get too awkward she could always find shelter with others there. Looking over at them she realized that they were all one group of friends. There was no one else there but them. She was stuck and she didn't like being stuck.

Seth looked past the bonfire and saw a girl hovering near the outskirts. _Huh?,_ he thought, dumbfounded. He nudged Quil and pointed in her direction. She didn't seem to notice that a few within the group had seen her anxious hovering. Quil nudged Embry in turn and he perked up, noticing poor Myrna looking like she was going to leave. He jogged up to her and he could see her relief. _At least I know two of them_, she reasoned, trying desperately to quiet her shy disposition. He gave her a hug that she was entirely not expecting, but returned none the less. 'Hey, you came!,' he said warmly, chuckling. She smiled and nodded. 'I said I would. So here I am.'

He tried to calm her a little as they walked back to the group. 'Don't worry about them. They're all harmless really.' Embry threw her his gigantic heart-warming smile and she smiled back. She realized she was put at ease more by his smile than his words.

'She's a bit skittish,' Paul remarked with a smirk after Embry had introduced her to everyone and left her to get to know the girls. Obviously Paul was taking some sort of enjoyment in Myrna's discomfort. 'You don't know anything!' Embry bit back harshly in a hushed whisper. He knew nothing about her. He had no right to judge. He was the only one who really knew her here, the only one she ever opened up to. She told him so during one of their late night chats. But then again, he was a wolf during those chats, so less talking more listening on his part. Paul just gave him a stare, put his hands up in mock surrender and moved away. Embry shook his head and realized that Myrna was giving him a weird look. He just smiled at her, which she returned and moved towards her. 'How are you?' he whispered in her ear. She was hesitant about how close they were, very aware that everyone's eyes were on them with knowing glances she couldn't entirely understand.

After Myrna calmed down and began to enjoy the company of the pack, Quil offered her a beer. She declined with a shake of the head. 'You don't want to see me drunk,' she warned everyone. 'I get absolutely insane.' She gave everyone a sheepish look. Embry wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively and she giggled, smacking him playfully on the arm. She retracted her arm, pretending she'd hurt herself in the process and throwing him a smile. Embry beamed, she was warming up to him finally. He just stared at her, with a stupid grin on his face. He loved progress.

She looked at him in her periphery, watching him watching her. He was intriguing, she'd give him that. And he was gorgeous, she'd already given him that. Myrna knew then that she was falling for him a little. He stared at her with such adoration, something she'd never seen in a guy's eyes before, especially not when they looked at her. She started to blush and was called back to reality when Emily, Sam's girlfriend asked her a question. She shook her head slightly, clearing her thoughts and asked her to repeat whatever she had asked. Emily gave her a knowing smile, a smile that lit her face and eyes. Myrna instantly clicked with Emily. She was sweet and docile and seemed to understand her the most out of everyone. She had these angry scars on her face but if anything she was more beautiful for them, more beautiful because she had accepted them and didn't let them control her life. Myrna wished she could be more like Emily, more confident in herself, more confident despite her flaws.

She got to know the pack, feeling more at ease throughout the night. Myrna had forgotten how nice it was to be in such a big group of people, to be surrounded by laughter and playful banter. She realized just how lonely she had been, how distinctly she had isolated herself from everyone around her. It started to get late and Myrna made her excuses and went to leave. Embry jumped up after her, walking her to her car. 'Thanks for coming. The group really liked you,' he said, giving her a hug that she almost melted into. He was so warm. Hugging him was like a nice warm blanket on a snowy winter's day, like a day in her favourite chair with her books. She smiled brightly despite herself, saying she loved the group as well and thanked him for inviting her. 'I really needed to get out,' she said jokingly, waving slightly and jumping in her car. She drove home beaming, not realizing the affect he had had on her until later that night.

**A/N:** Hello again! So another chapter up (bit of filler and relationship ground work so sorry if it's boring). I do love writing this story and my chapters aren't long so it's been a quick write but I'm enjoying it all the same. Just to point out, I am realizing though that this won't really be an overly dramatic story. It just doesn't have the right feel to it for her to all of a sudden be kidnapped by a vampire or have some sort of love triangle. So it'll be pretty dull, more of a character story than a plot driven drama. Hope that's alright. R&R if you please. More up tomorrow :)


	4. Chapter 4

It was late and Myrna was sitting on her back porch, affectionately named Cuilean with his head in her lap. She had grown so fond of the wolf. She knew it was crazy, it was dangerous and reckless, words never used to describe her. But she couldn't help it. This wolf came by every night and as she stared in its eyes all she wanted to do was sit with it and tell it everything about her. As odd as it sounded she felt a bit blessed. She had no real friends but she had a confidant in a wild wolf. _The world was strange_, she thought to herself.

She scratched behind Cuilean's ears and smiled at him. Ever since the bonfire a few nights ago she had been noticeably happier and Embry was loving it. Myrna reclined on the steps, laying back and looking at the stars. 'I met an amazing guy the other day Cuilean. He's pretty damn perfect,' she murmured. Embry's ears perked up. He knew he shouldn't be listening, this was obviously private and if she knew who he was she would be mortified. But he couldn't pull away, he couldn't stop listening. 'And he's gorgeous. And he seems to actually like me too,' she said as she rubbed his head affectionately. This is what he'd been waiting for. All he really wanted was for her to see him in that light, instead of as the confidant he had become without her knowledge. He was just waiting for her to say his name, to confirm that he was this perfect man she'd fallen for. _You're the perfect one,_ he thought to himself. _I'd be lucky if you looked twice at me._

'His name's Embry,' she mumbled to the wolf. She didn't want to admit it but she knew she'd fallen head over heels for him. Since the bonfire her mind had run wild. It was her worst flaw. She would fixate on a guy until she made him out to be her perfect companion. But she realized he needed very little encouragement. _He's perfect as he is,_ she thought. _He needs no help from me._ She smiled despite herself. She was falling hard. 'Maybe I should make the first move? Maybe I should be the brave one for once?' she asked Cuilean. He wagged his tail in response and she suddenly felt uplifted, courageous in a way she hadn't been before. 'You're right. What am I doing just wasting my life waiting for others to initiate things?' she grinned and kissed Cuilean on the top of the head. 'Thanks boy. You're amazing.' With that, she got up and ran into the house, ready to take the first step for once in her life.

Embry ran to Emily's ecstatic about the whole thing. The pack was all there as usual and he ran in with a grin. 'She's gonna make the first move! She likes me and she's gonna make the first move!' He was yelling and making no sense but he didn't care. This is what he'd been waiting for since he met her a few weeks ago, since he imprinted. But he soon realized no one was joining in his new found joy. And as he looked around he saw that they were all so uncharacteristically serious. 'What's going on here?,' he asked warily, worried of the answer before it came. _Why had I been left out?_

Sam stood up and looked at him apologetically. 'It's you're imprint Embry. She's too much of a danger.' Embry openly scoffed, concealing his growing anger. 'How the hell is she a danger? What's she done that so god damn dangerous?,' he yelled, losing track of his temper and tensing. 'You didn't tell us she was the local historian,' Sam said quietly. Embry was shocked, dumbfounded that this would even be a topic of conversation. _Is that piece of information really worth this secret pack meeting? You've got to be kidding me,_ he thought irritably. _They're losing their minds._ 'You've lost me. She's a danger because she's a historian? This is ridiculous! Are you listening to what you're saying?'

'Embry, please , just think!,' Sam yelled using his alpha voice. He'd had enough of this back and forth discussion. Embry wasn't seeing this situation clearly. He was too clouded by his own feelings. Embry stopped talking but was still visibly tense. 'Myrna is the local historian. She has so much to gain if she knew our secret. She seems really invested in her work, doesn't she?,' Sam asked trying to coax him towards the glaring fact that everyone seemed to acknowledge but him.

She did love her work. That was one of the things that Embry loved about her. She seemed so absorbed by the legends he'd dismissed as a child, the legends that had quickly become his reality. Embry just nodded, not entirely understanding where Sam's trail of thought was heading. 'What do you think that would do to her work, to know our secret? It would bring her to the top of her field. It would be the discovery of her career. You have to understand, she didn't imprint on you, she may not be so loyal when she knows the power that could come with knowing our secret. Myrna might not be able to resist that sort of acclaim. It's what academics dream of, isn't it? To be published, to be the first to discover something truly magical?' Sam was pleading with Embry, trying to make him see the consequences of his possible actions. Embry just turned away, confused, angry and aching. His one shot at true love, a complete and all-consuming happiness, dashed because of some stupid paranoia. She was different. He knew Myrna wouldn't compromise them like that. He would never doubt her. He could never doubt his imprint, right? But he had to admit that a part of him, such a small part of him that he barely acknowledged it, understood their fears.

'I thought better of you Quil. You know her, you know she'd never do that,' Embry muttered accusingly. 'She may not seem like she would, but she barely knows us. She met us a few times and we have no idea where her loyalties lie. It would only be natural for her to put herself first over us. It's human nature,' Quil said quietly, hoping Embry would see their side. 'No. She wouldn't. And I'll show you.' Embry ran before Sam could issue any kind of command with his alpha voice. He ran before anyone could stop him, before they could try to change his mind, before they could try to change his heart.

He ran to the edge of the forest, running up Myrna's front porch steps and knocking at her door. He heard her shuffle, turn off the tv and come out to meet him. 'Embry?,' she asked hesitantly. 'You look a mess. Are you alright?' Embry just nodded, not knowing what to say but absentmindedly loving the concern in her voice. This was his whole life now. How could the others not see it? How could he have not seen it? He'd been reluctant to imprint. After seeing his friends change drastically once they'd found their soul mate he'd decided that when his turn came he wouldn't be like that. He wouldn't give up his life, his everything, to please some woman he barely knew. But it was only then, standing there in the doorway with her, seeing her brows knit together with worry and distress at his situation, that he realized he had no choice. Before he may have wanted to remain himself, to be able to hold himself together without the need of his imprint, but that would never be the case again. He imprinted on her the moment he met her, but he fell in love with her that night in her doorway. _Imprints may be soul mates,_ he thought to himself, _but it's nothing without real love._

**A/N: **So there it is, a bit short but with a plot twist to keep the story flowing. It felt like a nice place to end this chapter. Hope you liked it. Not anything too dramatic, some Romeo and Juliet forbidden love though. Don't judge me on that last paragraph. It is uncharacteristically sappy for me but as I started writing it just flowed. I wanted to stress again in this chapter the reluctance of Embry to imprint. It may not have shown much in the last chapter but in the first he found it hard to get to grips with the change in his life's perspective. I also wanted him to really fall in love, not just be told by his genes that he should/couldn't help falling in love with this one girl. R&R if you please. Next one up tomorrow :)

P.S: I realized I never said this before because it's sort of implied but just as a precaution…. I do not own Twilight, or any of the characters affiliated with Twilight. I only own my lovely OC!

~Scottish Melody


	5. Chapter 5

There Embry was, standing in her doorway with a far off look in his eye. He was panting slightly and she wondered what was going on with him. Myrna was naturally worried. She knew her feelings for him were deeper than just friendship and it hurt her to see him so distraught. She grabbed his hand gently, leading him inside. 'It's cold. Come on,' she said softly. 'What's going on? Are you alright?' Embry didn't reply right away. His looked hurt, betrayed. 'Embry please. You can talk to me,' she mumbled. He shook his head and looked at her. 'It's alright, just a spat between me and Quil. Mind if I come in? I just needed to get away and had Emily told me all about how you'd fixed up this old abandoned house and,' he was babbling, trying to make some excuse for his sudden appearance. Though she thought Embry had never been here before she had no idea that he knew the route like the back of his hand. He wished he could tell her everything, to divulge all his secrets, to take the weight off his shoulders. But he knew he couldn't. He wasn't saying the pack was right. He believed their paranoia was entirely misplaced. They didn't understand Myrna like he did and the fact that they doubted her so much made him feel so enraged. Deep down though, he knew that she wasn't ready for the truth. He knew she was fragile, she was naïve and had only recently admitted to herself that she had feelings for him. To shake up her world like that, to drop that kind of information on her doorstep was cruel. So he had to keep quiet, to hold his tongue until he thought she was ready to handle the burden.

Myrna was entirely unaware of the inner struggle occurring within Embry as she led him to the couch. She just assumed he was still fuming over whatever happened between him and Quil. They seemed really close, all of the La Push guys seemed close knit, so she could understand how devastating a fight between them could seem. She heard Embry let out a deep, frustrated sigh. She sat next to him and rubbed his back awkwardly. She didn't know exactly how she could help, or what to do to comfort him.

Embry gave her a small smile. He knew Myrna was trying to console him and he gladly accepted it. All he could do was chuckle when he felt her shaky hands rubbing his back. He turned to her and gave her a hug, taking heart in the fact that at least they were making progress. He felt her relax, getting used to him. They both smiled inwardly, trying not to show each other their delight at the contact. Myrna realized she welcomed his touch now that she understood where her feelings lie.

'Just sit and relax,' she said to Embry as they pulled apart. 'You can hang out here until you pluck up the courage to apologize for whatever it is that you've done,' she teased, sticking her tongue out and making her way to the back porch. Embry followed, watching her as her eyes skimmed the tree line. He felt bad that he couldn't be there, in his wolf form, like he had been almost every night since they met. 'What are you looking for?,' he asked. '**Mo chuilean**,' she mumbled, lost in thought. 'What?,' he asked, a little louder, trying to pull her out of whatever she was thinking. He hadn't known she'd grown so attached. He hadn't even thought about how strong their connection was. He was too preoccupied with forming the human attachment that he neglected the affect the wolf attachment was having on her. _I'm in too deep now_, he thought to himself sadly. He had no idea what he was going to do. This was the second time that night Embry had contemplated telling her, telling her what she deserved to know. _Is it worth the risk?_, he asked himself. It was a cowardly way to think but he couldn't disregard his previous argument. Embry knew he would probably lose her once he told her.

'Mo chuilean, it means my puppy,' she said with a slight smile. 'It may sound entirely ridiculous but there has been this wolf roaming in my backyard for the past few weeks. It must have been conditioned to humans or something because it comes up to me almost every night and lays its head on my lap,' she told him as she giggled. She looked up at him and her smile faltered. 'I know it's probably dangerous but the wolf really seems harmless. And it's been such a good friend..,' she trailed off, embarrassed that she revealed that. _Who makes friends with wolves? I'm going crazy, it's official now. I just told Embry I'm besties with some rabid wolf._ She mentally cursed herself for being so open. _He's gonna think I'm an idiot_.

'Oh, I've seen it around here,' he lied. Embry didn't know what else to do. He had already decided she wasn't ready to know the real truth. But he couldn't just let her stand there, embarrassed that she had gotten to know a wolf that was actually standing beside her as a human. _It's my fault in the first place,_ he reasoned. _I'm the one who couldn't just get to know her like a normal person. Ugh! I've really messed up this time._

'Don't worry, I know it's harmless. It's always been pretty friendly. I just didn't know it hung out it your backyard,' he joked, hoping to lighten the mood and lessen her embarrassment. That's when he realized she had told him what the name means. 'My puppy?' he asked incredulously. Embry couldn't help himself, he burst out laughing. 'Are you sure we're talking about the same animal. That thing's a beast!,' he said, loving the ego boost. 'It was meant to be ironic!,' she exclaimed indignantly. 'Besides, I think naming the poor thing Beast would be just rude,' she trailed off and laughed. What a ridiculous conversation. Embry just continued to chuckle. She laughed as she pushed him, or at least tried. She couldn't even make him budge. _He's a fucking immovable force,_ she thought to herself and laughed. 'What's so funny?' Embry asked. 'Just laughing at my attempts to move you, you boulder,' she explained, mocking him. He liked her new playful spirit. _I could get used to this,_ he thought as he stood there with her on her back porch looking out into the forest. He nonchalantly wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Embry heard her giggle. 'Smooth,' she commented, laughing some more. But she didn't pull away. She wrapped her arm around his waist and moved in closer.

_I'm glad he made the first move. I didn't have the courage anyways. And he's really warm,_ she thought absentmindedly, too preoccupied with the proximity that they were in to formulate any real, coherent thoughts.

They stayed there for a while, just sitting on her porch in companionable silence wrapped up in each other. 'You hungry?,' she asked Embry, getting up and making her way towards the house. 'Thought you'd never ask!,' he replied, giving her a toothy smile. She just laughed and made her way to the kitchen. 'What do you feel like? I've got pasta, salmon..' she trailed off, searching the fridge for other options. 'How much salmon do you have?,' he asked as he came into the kitchen, grinning at her. 'Uh…enough for two…?' She saw the look of doubt in his eyes. 'Right, if I base how much you eat on the bonfire then pasta it is!,' she said as she looked at him, amused. 'Lots of pasta,' she mumbled as she brought out a huge stock pot. He laughed and she shooed him away, 'Go sit, watch some tv or something. You've had a stressful day.' She pushed him, rather he let her push him, towards the couch. 'Now stay,' she said, pointing a finger at him accusingly. Embry held his hands up and when she felt he would comply she went back to the kitchen and started on some dinner.

Embry decided, having been forcibly shut out of the kitchen, to explore her house. It was _filled_ with books. There were more bookcases than furniture in her living room. He smiled slightly and continued his search, running his hands along the spines of the books. But one book caught his eye. It wasn't old like the other books in the collection and it was tucked away, like she didn't want anyone to see it. That piqued Embry's interest and he pulled it out. It was slim, not a book but a journal, The Journal of Native American Culture to be exact. He glanced through it, not sure why just this one issue of the journal was there. As he skimmed, a name popped out at him. '_Native American legend and its relevance to the modern day novella' _he read aloud, 'by Myrna Adalon.' His smile grew. She'd been published! She must have been ecstatic. He checked the date and realized it was only two years ago that she had her article in the journal, that she had been recognized by the leaders in her field. But Embry's grin began to falter. She'd had a taste of what it was like to be acknowledged for her work. _Did she mis_s_ it? Did she miss being published, being a real academic with articles in journals and conferences and things?_

It was then that he realized there could be truth in the pack's fear. _What if she betrayed me?_

He was concerned. He didn't want the pack to be right. He didn't want to see Myrna as some fame hungry woman who wanted nothing more than to succeed in her career. _Would she really just drop me like that, break my trust, and the packs just to be the best? _Before he had more time to think about the whole thing Myrna came through, ready to usher him into the kitchen for dinner. She paled slightly as she saw the journal in his hand. She snatched it from him, putting it back gently on the shelf. 'Sorry, you shouldn't have seen that,' she said softly, looking away from him. Embry was confused, 'Hey what's wrong? You should be proud of that! Isn't that sorta a big deal for an academic?' he said gently. He didn't know what he'd done wrong but he was sorry none the less. 'Yeah, I'm proud of it. I just wish you hadn't seen it,' she said, looking up at him. Myrna saw his confusion and tried to explain, 'It's just that it must be weird for you. I mean, I'm sorta obsessed with your people.' She chuckled nervously. 'Isn't it weird? I think it's strange at least.'

'That's what your worried about?,' he asked her, surprised. She nodded slightly, wanting desperately to change the subject. 'If anything, I think it's amazing that you're so interested in my tribe. More of us should be like you. We should all care more about our roots and our heritage. I love that you love my tribe.' He gave her a lopsided smiled and pulled her into hug. She hugged him back, enjoying his warmth and also his understanding. Myrna was always self-conscious about her work. It wasn't uncommon for the people of the tribes she studied to resent her for her research. They disliked her because she seemed to care more for their customs than they did. _They always thought I was trying to show off, like I was rubbing it in their faces. My interest in their tribe only highlighted their own disdain and apathy towards their culture._

'Don't worry about it. I think you're work is amazing. I think we need someone like you around here,' he reassured her. That was all she needed to hear. She broke away from the hug and led him to the dinner table. They started to eat in silence, Myrna marvelling at how Embry could shovel so much food into his mouth at once. But finally they reached the topic Embry had been dreading. 'So what happened between you and Quil? If you don't mind me asking.'

**Mo chuilean – my puppy. Mo makes it possessive (my) and when using the possessive you must aspirate (hence the h)**

**A/N: **Hey everyone. I wasn't as quick about getting this chapter out. I'm not a big fan of it. I wrote myself into a corner with the last chapter and this is the consequence, a filler chapter that I really don't like but have to write in order to keep a plot line. Hope it's not atrocious. I put in the part about the journal to establish that she really was an academic (not just a research librarian) and that she had been published before and could (for those without faith in her) seem as though she would be desperate for more recognition. Also helped me put a bit of doubt in Embry's mind about her revealing them if she knew. Hope it all makes sense. R&R if you please. Any criticism will help. Hopefully I'll get better at not writing myself into dead ends :D

~Scottish Melody


	6. Chapter 6

'It was nothing really. They just…' he trailed off, not knowing how to explain it to her. Embry knew he couldn't lie to her. She would see through it instantly and he didn't have a strong enough story. Myrna was anything but stupid. He knew not to underestimate her. 'It's nothing. The guys just don't understand me. We're all so close but sometimes I just wish they would keep their noses out of my business and leave me alone,' he huffed. Embry was just so sick of hiding, sick of constantly worrying and fearing for the safety of the pack and their secret. He missed being normal, as odd as it sounded. He knew many would kill for the prospect of being supernatural. But having had a taste of the life he really couldn't see much good in it. Mynra just shook her head. 'You're lucky, y'know that? Most dream of a group like the one you've got. You've all been through a lot I bet and it only strengthened your friendships. That's what makes it so special.' She gave him a warm smile. 'It sounds corny, I know, but you're blessed. The kind of closeness that you guys share is amazing. I only wish I could be that close to someone, to have such a big group of friends. They'll be there for you no matter what. Whatever you fought about may seem important now, but in the scheme of things your friends are worth more,' she said softly, hoping he'd understand that though their fight may seem like a disaster to him now, it would all work itself out. _Because that's what happens when you have such good friends_, she thought sadly.

Embry just marvelled at how loyal she sounded. He knew she had no idea that the fight was really about her, and not between just Quil but the whole pack. But she had such faith in him, such faith in their friendships and the strength of their connections. It put aside the small nagging doubt he had about her possibly betraying the pack. _His imprint wouldn't do that._

But in that moment, Embry couldn't help but notice how shallow he had been. He just believed without question that because she was an imprint she was going to be loyal, to be a part of the pack forever. No wonder the pack was so paranoid. He hadn't made any sort of case about her character, about how she would never do such a thing because of her inherent set of morals or her compassion. He just told them she was his imprint and she would never do that. But he realized it was because she was who she was. She was unfailingly kind, compassionate, and loyal. She seemed to acutely understand the connections between people and how important it was to preserve them. She wouldn't betray them, not because she was an imprint and that's just how they are supposed to act, but because she was Myrna. It was then that Embry started to see her as Myrna Adalon, the bookish research librarian he had fallen in love with, not _his imprint. _She was more than just an imprint. She was real; flesh and blood, not the stuff of myths or legends.

Myrna saw him lost in thought and she hoped her words had some effect. She had never really had a set of friends that were as close as his were. She could only wish for a set of friends like that. Myrna just wanted to make him see that those kinds of connections were most important. She got up and went over to him, giving him a hug. She was glad she could be here for him and she hoped that this would strengthen whatever was going on between them. Little did she know their link was stronger than all others.

'Thanks,' he muttered as they pulled apart. 'I just needed someone to talk to, someone who hasn't known me and Quil for years,' he told her. In reality, he just needed to see her. He had been hell bent on exposing the pack when he arrived on her doorstep. All he wanted was to tell Myrna the truth so he could really get to know her, really be there for her. But he knew the moment he saw her that she wasn't ready. Myrna was just beginning to feel comfortable around Embry and he knew that the secret he carried, that he was the gray wolf in the forest that she confides in, would shatter what he had carefully built up between them. So for now he needed to let go, to let her feelings run their course. If he rushed her he would push her away, he knew that. And he would give anything to keep her close.

'So, got any good movies?' he asked nonchalantly. He didn't want to leave just yet. Embry wanted to eke out every minute he could with her before she would revert back to her shy self. He was sick of seeing her only as a wolf. He loved this human interaction and knew that each time he saw her as a wolf he was risking his secret but also the future of their relationship. She gave him a big smile and pointed to a small bookcase to the left of her tv. 'Take your pick. But I can't guarantee you'll like them.'

He took his time to peruse her collection. 'You _really_ like movies don't you,' he said, shocked at the variety and sheer number of movies she owned. Embry heard her giggle and just smiled. It warmed is heart to hear her. She didn't laugh often, but when she did he couldn't help but grin, couldn't help but love her that little bit more. 'Bit obsessive', he mumbled as he realized she had sorted her movies by genre, then put them in alphabetical order in their respective sub genres. Myrna came up behind him and slapped him playfully upside the head. 'I like my organization,' she responded sheepishly. _There's nothing wrong with a bit of order,_ she thought to herself.

'OK, how about this one?,' Embry asked as he pulled out The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Myrna nodded quickly, with a grin that lit up her face. 'My absolute favourite. You couldn't have picked a better movie!' She snatched the case and after starting up the DVD, ran to the closet by the staircase and pulled out some extra blankets and pillows. 'It is sacrilege to watch a movie and not to be comfortable. It ruins it,' she explained as she came back to the couch with her arms full. She set herself up in a cocoon of blankets that made Embry laugh. 'Cold?,' he asked smugly, knowing the answer and knowing he was the solution to her problem. She nodded, and snuggled closer to her blankets. He gave her a look and outstretched his arms, indicating that she should curl up against him. She looked at him shyly, moving her eyes down to her hands as she contemplated her next move. _What could it hurt?,_ asked the small voice in her head. _What do you have to lose?_

_Everything, _she thought to herself. _If I lose him I lose everything I have here in La Push. I don't want to scare him off._

Embry saw the look of apprehension in her eyes and decided to take matters into his own hands. He grabbed her arms, bringing her closer to him and wrapping his arm around her waist. Myrna gave him a small smile and snuggled up closer to him, her head against his chest. 'How are you so warm?' she asked him incredulously. _I'm sitting here shivering like I'm in the Arctic and here he is happy as a clam!,_ she thought. 'I just run hot,' he said as he gave wiggled his eyebrows at her in a suggestive manner. She just laughed and started up the movie.

Myrna fell asleep somewhere around the fellowship entering the Golden Wood of Lothlorien and Embry chuckled as she unknowingly nestled even closer to him. But he wasn't complaining. It felt right for her to be there, curled up beside him without a trace of stress of sadness on her beautiful face. He wished he could stay like this forever but the movie soon ended and he picked her up, blankets and all, and brought her upstairs to her room. He placed her on her bed as she began to shift and wake up. 'What's going on?,' she asked, sleepy and disorientated. 'It's alright. You fell asleep during the movie and I thought you might like to sleep in your own bed instead of the couch.' She just nodded and curled up into her blankets, missing Embry's warmth, but quickly falling back asleep none the less. Embry smiled down at her, nothing but love in his eyes. He bent over her, left a lingering kiss on her forehead and moved the stray strands of hair from her face. He wanted her to know just how much he loved her, how he would never leave her, how if it was up to him he would be beside her holding her for all of time. Embry shook his head, trying to rid his mind of the sentimental thoughts quickly accumulating in his head as he stood over her sleeping form. _You have no idea what you do to me Myrna,_ he thought to himself.

**A/N:** Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay. It's been pretty hectic as Uni starts back up next week but also I've been a bit reluctant to update. Not sure how I'm liking the story as it progresses. But this is the usual for me. I get really excited in the first few chapters/instalments but as I continue I lose focus and direction (cause I cannot for the life of me plan a story out in advance – very annoying). So here is the newest instalment. I like it more than the previous two so hopefully you do too. Don't lose faith in me! I'm hoping the chapters will pick up and be a bit better (in plot and language). But anyways, R&R if you please and let me know what you think :)

~Scottish Melody


	7. Chapter 7

Myrna sat behind the help desk at work the next day, not really reading the book in front of her. The library was practically barren, people preferring to enjoy the beautiful day outside instead of tucked away with a book. It was one of the few beautiful days that Forks and La Push had seen that year and no one wanted to take it for granted. Sunshine was sacred in a place as rain soaked as this.

Though Myrna wasn't particularly envious that she wasn't outside on such a sunny day, she was disgruntled that she had to work. After last night, all she wanted to do was be around Embry, and being at work today stopped her from finding Embry and pulling him in for another movie. He was an oddly comforting presence in her life and she wanted nothing more than to be in his company, to immerse herself in his care free and easy life. She loved how he saw the world. It was so unlike her own view. Myrna was more observational, noticing nuances and over analysing everything she came into contact with, whereas Embry just let everything slide off him. He only really paid attention to the things in his life that he felt were important. Myrna on the other hand worried and thought over everything, as though in an irrational attempt not to miss a single thing. Embry could care less if he missed out, so long as he was enjoying his life and the people in it. She admired him for that. He had such a strong sense of self, he knew who he was and he was never ashamed of it.

Embry was up early that morning. He had replayed the night in his head over and over again with a big grin. She was so addictive. She had such an effect on him. He was ready to see her again, to persuade her to go to the beach with him. It was such a nice day. He couldn't let her be cooped up inside her house or stuck at work when they had to appreciate the glimmer of sun that probably wouldn't return for a while. But as he was about to leave, he realized he had to deal with the pack. It was only yesterday that they had met behind his back to discuss the danger that Myrna apparently posed. It felt like ages ago. So much had happened in the few hours he was at Myrna's house. She opened up to him. He only wished he could do the same for her. He shook his head. _I can't think like that. I'll tell her eventually, when the time is right and I feel like she can handle it,_ he assured himself. He let out a frustrated sigh and made his way to Emily's. He had to tell them that they were safe, that they had no reason to worry. They were probably all huddled together, tense and awaiting his return to see how much destruction he had caused and how they would pick up the pieces. He had to reassure them that he hadn't told Myrna anything, that he hadn't jeopardized the pack in any way. _Even though last night I wanted to so badly. But I was right not to tell her. I would be telling her my secret just to spite the pack. That's no way for her to find out._

Embry walked through Emily's front door, only to be met with a room full of angry and disappointed faces. 'You can cut the crap. I didn't tell Myrna anything. So everyone just calm down,' he grumbled, annoyed at the whole situation. He could see their relief but they were still angry. 'Do you know what you could have done? What could have happened? To all of us? You can't just fly off the handle and threaten to tell our secret. It's not all about you Embry,' Sam raged. Embry just nodded, knowing what Sam had said was true but only begrudgingly agreeing. 'I know Sam. I was angry. But you know I could never do that to the pack. Myrna made me see that, that our connection is more important than anything else,' Embry mumbled, not knowing how else to explain it to them. He had gone to Myrna's with every intention of revealing his secret. She made him see that he was being brash and foolish, and she didn't even know the context. She understood him so well and she barely knew it. 'I'm sorry,' he said, looking Sam in the eye for the first time since he made his way into Emily's front room. 'It's ok Embry,' Sam said gently. 'But please, just know that we're here for you and we're only trying to do what's best for everyone.' Embry nodded. 'You do know that I don't agree with you though, right? I mean, this is my imprint. I _love_ her and I love her because of who she is as well as because I imprinted on her. I won't just give up on her because you all think she is dangerous in some way. Last night I didn't make myself clear. I was so angry with everyone, for going behind my back, for doubting Myrna,' he said, trying to get his point across but stumbling. Sam just looked at him, not knowing what Embry was going to say next.

'I told you all last night that Myrna wouldn't reveal our secret because she was _my_ imprint. That has nothing to do with it. If you knew her half as well as I did you would know that she would never do that to us. Not because she's an imprint, but because she is just an amazing person. She understands the meaning of friendship and loyalty. She may not know you all that well but she thinks the world of you. It's hard for me to stand by you when I know that Myrna would be so hurt if she heard you, if she knew you suspected her of being, in a sense, a backstabber.' Embry said as he shook his head.

Sam tried to interject. That was not the intention of the pack. They never saw her as a back stabber per say but just as an ambitious academic. Embry just held up his hand to stop Sam from explaining. He really didn't want to hear it anymore. 'I'm not mad at you all. I know you were trying to do what you thought was best and I respect that. But I love her and I'm going to continue to see her. And sooner or later I'm going to have to tell her. Whether you want her to know or not, she has to know. Because the thought of living my life without her for the sake of the pack kills me. I don't know if I could do it. You guys mean the world to me, but so does she. You're going to have to learn to live with that,' he said softly as he turned to leave. Everyone was stunned into silence. _It's better that way. I won't have to deal with their whining. I love the pack, I really do. But none of the others had this kind of trouble trying to integrate their imprint into the pack. Just my luck,_ he thought angrily to himself.

Myrna saw Embry enter the library and her face lit up with a smile. 'So what are you doing here on such a lovely day?,' he asked her. 'Working, obviously. Library duty waits for no woman, rain or shine,' she said with a grin. 'Fair enough.' He chuckled loudly. She just laughed along with him and checked the clock. 'I get off in about an hour. Wanna do something then?,' she asked, trying to be as nonchalant as possible. She had a feeling she wasn't succeeding. Her feeling was confirmed when Embry sniggered at her, obviously loving the role reversal.

After days of being the one to initiate everything, Myrna finally made the first move. 'Are you asking me out on a date Miss Adalon,' he teased. She blushed a bright crimson and nodded her head, her eyes staring down at her desk. His smile grew at her bashfulness and he tucked a finger under her chin, tilting her face up so she was looking directly at him. 'I'd love to. I'll meet you outside the library in an hour. We'll go to the beach. How does that sound?,' she smiled at him, her shyness melting away as she noticed he found it cute, or at least endearing. 'See you in an hour,' he called over his shoulder as he exited the library.

Embry quickly made his way to Emily's hoping for her help but also praying the pack had dispersed. As he tiptoed into her front room, he saw her alone in the kitchen. _It's my lucky day,_ he thought with a smile on his face. He knew Emily liked Myrna and he needed her help to execute his plan for his and Myrna's first date. 'Emily?,' he called softly as he entered the kitchen, hoping not to draw Sam's attention if he was in the house. 'Embry? What are you doing here?,' she asked him, eyebrows raised in suspicion. 'I need your help,' he said. Embry whispered his plan to Emily. It was nothing overly special, but he thought it would be low key enough for Myrna to enjoy without her stressing about it. He knew that if he took her to a fancy restaurant or made some grandiose gesture that she would be a little embarrassed and definitely uncomfortable. Emily smiled warmly at Embry as he finished whispering his idea, knowing that if Emily liked it, Myrna would too. They shared a similar shy, reserved nature.

Myrna stood outside the La Push Reservation Library, waiting for Embry to arrive. _Our first date_, she thought with a smile. She hoped it was nothing too extravagant. She knew men liked to surprise women with diners at special restaurants or special gestures on a first date. But Myrna just knew that anything like that would be awkward. She didn't like big surprises. It meant she had no way to plan for them, to make sure she was prepared for whatever was thrown her way. It was what Myrna hated most, to be blindsided. She saw Embry pull in front of her. 'Hop in,' he called to her. She did as he asked, making her way to the passenger seat, going over what he could possibly have up his sleeve.

Embry drove them to First Beach. It was a bit crowded but he led her to a more secluded area, nearer a cove and on the edge of the forest. It was still gorgeously sunny and Myrna sat down, turning her face towards the sun and smiling slightly. He wished he could just stand there, watching her enjoy the sun. 'Stay here, I'll be right back,' he said as he ran back to the car. He came back with a red checked blanket and a gigantic picnic basket. She couldn't help but grin. _A picnic on the beach. Perfect._

**A/N: **Hello again. Hope you all liked this chapter. I enjoyed writing this one. I'm a huge fan of writing these scenes, not the dramatic ones. But hopefully I'll get better at those as I go on. This was just a cute and fluffly chapter, trying to settle the two characters into a relationship. Thanks for reading. R&R if you please. I love feedback :)

~Scottish Melody


	8. Chapter 8

Embry saw Myrna smile widely and decided that his idea for their first date was a success. He unpacked the picnic basket, pulling out the delicious looking food Emily had made for him. Myrna just stared at all the tupperware, marvelling at how much Embry could actually eat. 'Emily make it?,' she asked knowingly. Embry smiled sheepishly and nodded his head. It was no secret. Embry _was not_ good in the kitchen. 'Tell her thank you. This looks amazing. It's perfect,' she told him. She picked up one of the containers, marvelling at how gorgeous the detail on the box was. Myrna gasped as she opened it. 'You didn't! How did you know? Oh Embry you're amazing!,' she exclaimed. Uncharacteristically she launched herself at him and gave him a hug, kissing him lightly on the cheek. Embry gave a smug grin. _My plan is _soooo_ working right now,_ he thought to himself, self-satisfied and proud. He just hugged her back, chuckling at her reaction.

Myrna righted herself, realizing he probably thought she was a bit crazy. She looked down at the box again and smiled even wider. _He had Emily make bento boxes. How did he know? He is so sweet,_ she thought. As she continued to rifle through the picnic basket she noticed that all the boxes had gorgeous patterns on them, and that there were three bento boxes for Embry and one for her. She laughed. 'Really Embry, how did you know?, she asked him, pretty curious about how he had any idea that she loved Japan so much. 'Little things I guess,' he said with a shrug. 'When I first met you, you had those black lacquer chop sticks in your hair. Then when I was looking through your bookshelves there were countless books on 'Hiking your way through Japan' and Japanese culture,' he said with a laugh. 'I guess I just thought you'd enjoy this. And Emily is an amazing cook so I knew she could help me out. But it's nothing too fancy. I only came up with the idea after I left the library so she only had an hour,' he said. Myrna decided she shouldn't push the subject. She was so flattered that he made those little observations about her but she could probably guess it would be awkward to continue to talk about his interest in her. 'Thanks Embry. It's really perfect. I love it.'

Embry just loved the look on her face, a mix of gratitude, shock and pride. He knew from his talks with her in his wolf form (or more her talks with him) that she was self-conscious and had pretty low self-esteem. He didn't know what had happened in her life to make her feel so down on herself but he was determined to make her see that she was so perfect, so beautiful. Embry believed she deserved the world and he wanted to do everything in his power to give it to her. He had to admit, though he resented the secretiveness of being a shape shifter, he couldn't deny the help it had been to their relationship. He knew that he wouldn't have really put all those little observations together to come up with this picnic idea. She'd told his wolf form offhandedly that she loved Japan and wished to visit it someday so that got him thinking. He saw her tuck into her bento box with a smile, picking out the chopsticks from the picnic basket with a laugh. 'You thought of everything,' she marvelled. He just smiled and picked out his own boxes. He could get used to lazy, sunny afternoon picnics on the beach with Myrna.

It had been a week since their first date and Myrna and Embry had been inseparable. Myrna couldn't understand how two people could become so close in such a short space of time but since coming to La Push she had realized that life wasn't exactly as normal as she had remembered. She had been to another bonfire night with Embry's group of friends but had felt a distinctive shift in their attitudes towards her. Whereas the first time she had met them they had been interested in her, curious and amiable, this time they were indifferent. She didn't understand what she had done to cause this change but she could definitely feel its presence. Myrna could only assume that they were angry at her for taking Embry's attentions away from their group and towards her. She just guessed they were envious of their time together. Little did she know.

Myrna was getting ready the morning of her lecture, nervous and excited at the same time. She was never one for public speaking, but she knew it was a necessary evil she had to endure to bring life back into the public library. She had really come to love the La Push library and when she originally came up with this scheme she had hoped to find speakers to host nights fortnightly to create some interest around the heritage of the area and its people. Sadly no one really wanted to travel to a small, deathly dreary town in the north of the United States to talk to some disinterested Quilete people. She couldn't blame them. She herself didn't want to do it either. But nonetheless she had created this whole lecture series so the least she could do was show up and try to do her best. This week's lecture was a reading of the shape shifter legend and she hoped Quil and Claire would make it. He had after all suggested at the last reading that Claire would love the lectures. She just shrugged. _The way the group is treating me at the moment, I doubt they'll come_, she thought sadly.

Myrna shook her head and made her way to her car. It was raining heavily and she wouldn't be able to walk to the library in this weather. She got in and tried to start up the engine. But as she tried, it made a horrible wrenching sound. Myrna cringed. _This isn't sounding too good,_ she thought. She remembered that Embry knew quite a bit about cars and she called him up, hoping he could help her out. She had hoped to keep this whole thing away from him. She didn't want him there in the audience as she read the legend. If anything, he would be a distraction. Worst case, he would make her more nervous than she already was.

Embry seemed happy to help and in minutes he was with her, greeting her with a quick hug and peck on the cheek, before he popped open the hood of her car and started to tinker with the rusty old engine. She heard him sigh audibly as he pushed the hood closed. 'You're car is busted. I'm surprised it's made it this far,' he told her, smirking. 'Oh come on. It can't be that bad. I love this car,' she said as she stroked the old rust bucket affectionately. 'Yes well, you may love it but it's seriously on its last legs. I can fix it up but it won't be ready in time for you to get to the library. You've got your talk today don't you?,' he asked smugly. Embry had remembered that she was giving a little lecture on a Quilete legend and he wouldn't miss it for the world. He also knew that Myrna had been desperately skirting around the subject, probably hoping he had forgotten the whole thing. She smiled sheepishly at him but he just grinned in return. 'You can't get rid of me that easily,' he teased. She just smiled, 'Who said I wanted to?,' she asked shyly. He came up to her and gave her a hug. She just savoured his warmth. It was on days like these that she appreciated his ridiculous temperature. 'Here, I'll give you a ride over there. If you get too nervous just look at me. Pretend you reading it just to me and you should be fine.' Myrna just nodded.

They made it to the library just in time to see people filtering in and taking their seats. Myrna looked around anxiously as everyone began to settle down. Embry, sensing her nerves, placed a reassuring arm around her waist. 'Who are you looking for?,' he asked her as he saw her eyes scan the crowd. 'I was hoping Quil would be here. Last time he said that Claire would like the legends and I sorta wanted them to be here,' she said glumly. He just gave her a little squeeze. 'Don't worry about them,' he said. 'Really, I mean it Myrna,' he said a bit more sternly as she gave him a sceptical look. 'But they're your closest friends. The whole gang seems to hate me recently,' she said sadly. 'And if I'm with you then I'm going to have to be around them. You're a package deal Embry,' she mumbled.

'So you're with me now?,' he said as he raised his eye brows suggestively and have her a little nudge. She laughed lightly, but he could tell she didn't really feel much like joking. He just sighed. 'Myrna, please. It's alright. Don't worry about them. We're together,' he gave her a wink as he said this, 'and they're gonna have to deal with it. You mean so much to me. They have to accept you.' Myrna gave him a half-hearted smile. She knew he meant what he said, but she couldn't help feeling slightly guilty. She was the reason there was such tension between Embry and his friends. It must have seemed to them that she just waltzed in and stole Embry away from them. She just shook her head and looked down at the book in her hands. _I just need to get through this,_ she thought as she squeezed Embry's hand, hoping to let him know that she was alright. Myrna checked her watch noticing it was about time to start. She gave Embry a quick hug and made her way to the little podium. Taking a deep breath, she began to go over the legend in her mind. She had read it so many times before she barely needed the book. She saw Embry take his seat and she began.

But this time, as she was reading it, everything seemed different. All the details of the story seemed more familiar, more poignant. As Myrna made it to the point in the story where shape shifters were described, where the attributes of the shape shifter and its wolf form were listed, she began to feel a twist in her stomach. Everything seemed so familiar but she couldn't put her finger on it. But as she paused in the story, for dramatic effect but also to collect her thoughts, she looked out into the audience and saw Embry. He gave her a reassuring smile but in that moment it all seemed to fall slowly into place. He's always so warm, feverish even, he looked young for his age, she only ever saw her beloved wolf Cuilean on nights when she hadn't seen Embry, the scars on Emily's face looked like scratch marks from a giant paw. As these thoughts raced through her mind she started to shake a bit. She grabbed her stomach, feeling suddenly ill.

Myrna became aware that the whole library was looking at her and she made hasty excuses. 'I'm so sorry. I'm really not feeling well. Please excuse me. I'll make sure to reschedule this lecture and post it on the notice board in the library. Once again, sorry everyone,' she said hurriedly, trying desperately to get out of the library. It was getting stuffy and she was suddenly feeling dizzy, the room spinning. With her excuses made she ran out of the library, looking like a mad woman she assumed, but all she could think of was leaving. She had been lied to, betrayed by someone she was beginning to really love. He had hid his biggest secret, a secret that scared her beyond anything she could have dreamed of. These were the stories she had studied, the legends that she had analysed and critiqued. But she had never thought they could be remotely true. They were just the imaginings of a culture trying to make sense of the world as best they could. Or so she had thought. And through all this, she couldn't get the image of Emily's face out of her mind. Those raw, red scars showing that there was a dark side to the Quilete legend. It wasn't all love and protection. These men could turn into viscous beasts more powerful than anyone could conceive. It chilled her to the bone to think that Embry could do the same to her. He had never given her reason to believe he could be dangerous, that he could hurt her, but how could she tell? How could she be sure that he would remain calm enough to not rip her limb from limb? He was capable, Emily's scars and the viciousness of the legends assured her of that.

As she ran out of the library and into the wintry rain, she couldn't help but be frightened. The man she had come to love was really a brutal creature of myth. Myrna continued to run, no destination in mind other than a safe place to hide, to collect her thoughts and process all that had just transpired. As the icy wind and rain hit her she began to cry. Everything had been going so well. She had settled down in her new job, her new routine. She had found her perfect home. She had fallen in love. She realized now that there was dark side to that love that she had been entirely unaware of. Myrna began to tire, unable to run much longer and finally taking stock of where she had ended up in her fervent attempt to put distance between herself and Embry. She sank to her knees and wept. _What is happening to me? How can the legends be real? How can Embry be…that?,_ she thought to herself, noticing that she could barely comprehend that he was a shape shifter, let alone name him as one. She looked around the clearing she had stopped in, no idea where she was but finally felling the freezing cold rain that had pierced her clothing and soaked her to the bone. She didn't know how long she had been running, how long she had been outside in these conditions. But the cold temperatures, chilling rain and the stress of the entire situation had taken their toll. The world began to blur as shivered. Unable to muster the strength to move but knowing full well she should find some sort of shelter, Myrna pulled herself up from kneeling position and trudged, trudged in whatever direction her senses chose to go. She had passed rational thought the moment she had pieced together Embry's secret. She was running purely on instincts and she hoped they would guide her.

**A/N: **Hey everyone! I personally am in love with the end of this chapter. Bit of drama to tide you over. Sorry for the delay. Been a hectic week at Uni so bear with me. I've also got no clue where this story is going to go as the plot progresses so there may be longer intervals between updates as I try desperately to make some sort of plot outline. Anyways, hope you enjoyed it. R&R if you please :)


	9. Chapter 9

The world around Myrna was distorted, the edges of her vision blurring as her mind focused solely on finding shelter. It continued to rain, to drench her to the core but she struggled through the underbrush. After what felt like hours Myrna came across a faint foot path. For the first time since she had entered these woods what felt like hours ago, she had found an area that looked inhabited, or at least visited. As she continued down the barely noticeable path, worn down by the weather, the exertion, and her own emotional turmoil, her body began to fail. What little strength she had found in that clearing faded and she fell to the floor. As she fell Myrna thought she caught a glimpse of a house, made of glass panes and standing in stark contrast to the treeline behind it. She hit the wet, muddy ground with a thud and a weak cry, but she knew well enough that no one would hear her, no one would save her. In that moment she wished for Embry, an irrational wish that disregarded the dangerous secret she had learned. Though she feared him, she couldn't stop loving him.

Myrna regained consciousness only to feel the agonizing throb of her head. Confused but overwhelmingly glad to be alive, Myrna gingerly opened her eyes. Her vision was flooded with an overwhelming florescent light. She cringed and groaned a bit, still unable to move from her reclined position. Her groan alerted the man reading in an armchair to her left and he rushed over, looking oddly stoic. He had blonde hair that practically glowed in the harsh light of the study she found herself in. As she tried to sit up she cried out in pain, grabbing her head and tearing up. 'You shouldn't move so much,' he said gently. She just nodded slightly, trying not to jar her head too much. The man handed her a glass of water, giving her a sympathetic look and asking her who she was. 'My name is Myrna,' she said hoarsely. She didn't know these people. She didn't know if she could trust them and definitely didn't want to tell them what she was running from. _They'll think I'm nuts. I'll get sent to a mental institution no doubt, _she thought. He just nodded, noticing her reluctance to give up any more information about herself or her situation. 'Well, my name is Carlisle Cullen. I'm the resident doctor at Forks Hospital so there is no need to worry. You're in capable hands,' he said with a small, reassuring smile. Myrna was silent, nursing the glass of water, hoping for some relief to the never ending ache in her skull. After a long pause Carlisle continued, 'We found you just outside our house. You were suffering from prolonged exposure to the elements. You'll be fuzzy for a little while and you'll be achy all over but other than that you're alright. You're incredibly lucky. I don't know how long you were out there but you're fortunate to have survived. Too long outside on a day like this is deadly,' he trailed off, having made his speech about the importance of staying out of weather like this and got up to leave. 'Thank you,' Myrna mumbled. After all, he had saved her life. 'I'm sorry to be so rude but I have to go home,' she pleaded. She didn't know these people at all. All she could feel was the ache of her tired body and the desperation to be somewhere familiar. 'You're really in no condition to move, let alone make your way home. Just stay here for a minute. I'd like you to meet my family.'

Carlisle knew this would earn him a weird look but he was curious about the woman who seemed to have survived an ordeal of some sort. _If she met Edward that would answer some questions,_ he thought to himself. She just nodded, unable to refuse the request from the man who had saved her life. He nodded at her, 'One moment. I'll go round them up.' With that said he left the room. Myrna, still seated on the antique settee, scanned the room, looking for some sort of clue to who this mysterious man and his family were. Her eyes landed on an old, almost Renaissance style painting. Upon further inspection she saw one of the subjects, standing in what seemed to be a position of power, looked familiar. As she continued to stare at it she realized it was Carlisle, or at least an exact replica of him. _How odd. Must be pretty egocentric to have a Renaissance style painting of himself done. What a whack job,_ she thought to herself, freaked out a little. Just as she finished her thought the doors to the study opened. The young man to the right of Carlisle emitted a soft laugh, looking directly at her. She shifted a little in her seat, the thoughts of her migraine and achy limbs subsiding as she began to feel self-conscious. _Was he laughing at me?, _she thought as she bit her lip slightly. Carlisle, breaking the little silence, introduced his family. 'They're not all in at the moment but here is my wife Esme, my daughter Alice and my son Edward,' he explained as he motioned to each one in turn. She just stared at them, marvelling slightly at their beauty. Alice especially, thin and spritely with a massive smile on her face, an infectious smile that she couldn't help but return. But her smile didn't meet her eyes, which held a far off almost haunted look. 'Hello,' she said softly, unsure of what to do or say. _They look so…ethereal, _she thought to herself. She quickly dismissed the idea. _Just because one myth is true doesn't mean they all are. You're crazy enough to have met a shape shifter. Don't go assuming everyone is some sorta fairy-tale character_.

Myrna noted that she couldn't bring herself to say that she was unlucky enough to have met Embry. Through all the fear and all the confusion she still loved him. Love was never a rational emotion. And it could definitely get you into trouble, as Myrna was learning quickly.

Wrapped in her thoughts she missed the wide eyed look Edward gave her. He nodded to Carlisle, signalling that he had learned something new about their unusual guest. 'You must be tired,' Carlisle told Myrna, hoping to extract some information about her from Edward. She just nodded, not sure how to respond. 'If you'd like to rest you can stay here in my study. We wouldn't mind. And I'd rather see you well rested than battling to stand,' he told her with a knowing smile. She smiled shyly in return and thanked him. 'I really appreciate this. I can't thank you enough for helping me,' she mumbled. Carlisle just nodded and ushered the rest of his family out. Immediately after the doors closed Carlisle was questioning Edward in hushed tones. 'What did you hear?,' he asked, exceedingly curious. 'She's an imprint of one of the mutts. Embry. She just recently learned his secret though. It seems that he didn't tell her and she figured it out herself. Her thoughts were a bit scattered after that. But there were small glimpses of her running through the forest, exhausted, looking behind her in fear. And the face of that woman, the imprint of Sam, with the scars on her face,' Edward said, trying his best to make sense of the woman's random thoughts. 'But she still loves him,' he concluded. 'It seems to me that though she may love him, she fears what he can do, what he is capable of. I'm guessing the shock of finding out led her to irrationally run away from him,' Carlisle mused as he turned his eyes to Alice. 'Did you see anything?,' he enquired. Alice just shook her head slightly. 'I couldn't get much. Most of her future is blocked out because of her connection to Embry. But it's a pretty normal life,' she explained. Edward nodded. 'This seems to be the most dramatic thing that's happened to her. She kept wondering if she was going crazy,' Edward chimed in. But he soon nodded towards the door. 'She's still thirsty,' he whispered.

Myrna opened the door, hoping to ask the strange doctor for some more water. She was so thirsty she had risked the vertigo and possible repercussions of standing up in her condition. She saw Dr. Cullen and his children in the hallway, staring at her expectantly. _Bit creepy_, she thought, shivering a bit. 'Sorry to bother you but may I have another glass of water?,' she asked hesitantly. Carlisle nodded and led her down the stairs to the kitchen.

All of a sudden, from somewhere outside she heard a wolf's howl. It broke her heart slightly to hear it, fraught with despair and worry. She turned her head sharply, recognizing the sound instantly. She turned to Edward and Carlisle and gave them an apologetic look. 'I'm sorry but I have to…,' she trailed off, not knowing how to explain. 'I really have to go. Thank you so much for your hospitality and for saving me. Truly, I can't thank you enough,' she said as she turned towards the front door. 'You can't leave. There is still a storm outside and you are in no condition to make your way back to La Push,' Carlisle tried to explain, pleading slightly. 'You'll kill yourself out there. At least wait out the storm, then we can take you home.'

But Myrna had stopped listening. 'How did you know I live in La Push? I never said anything about that,' she yelled at them accusingly. _What is going on today?_, she thought to herself. Before either could form a suitable lie Myrna had bolted for the door. But just as she swung the front door open a cold pale hand grabbed her forearm. 'Just stay. It's for your own good,' Edward tried to explain. Myrna just whimpered. _What are they?_, she yelled in her head as sheer panic took over. She felt Edward's freezing cold hand on hers, noted his extreme speed, his extreme strength. She shook her head, partly to get rid of the thoughts but also to try and knock some sense into her. _Not them too,_ she thought as her mind wandered over the painting in the study. _They can't be!¸_

Edward's strengthened his grip on her hand. She stared up at him with wide eyes, unsure how she could escape. _If they're Cold Ones then I have no escape. Why didn't I think of it before? If there are shape shifters then there must be vampires nearby. That's the only way they can shift into their wolf forms._

Adrenaline fuelled her actions as her exhausted body could do no more. With a tug she tried to free her arm but the vice grip Edward had her in was solid, far stronger than anything she had ever encountered. In that moment she heard the howl again. Instead of being a distant, longing howl it was loud and driven by rage. She turned towards the sound only to see Cuilean bounding towards them. She screamed, fear racing through her as she realized she was stuck in Edward's unmoving grasp as the giant wolf rushed at them. Myrna braced herself for impact, for an unimaginable pain.

**A/N: **So here's some vampire action! :) They just HAD to make an appearance some time. I tried my best with writing them but I don't read too much vampire based Twilight fanfiction (odd I know) so I'm not so familiar with their characters or their backstories. One thing I'd like to point out though is that I know vampires can smell wolf/shape shifter on those that have come in contact with them (and therefore would have known instantly that Myrna was an imprint/friendly with the pack). But in my opinion, running around in a storm for however long that Myrna had and trudging around in the mud/falling into the mud must have wiped off the scent. They've got epic scent skills but can they really smell it that well? For the purposes of my story they can't!


	10. Chapter 10

Everything had been going so well for Embry. Granted the woman he loved, his imprint, was entirely unaware of a secret that could tear their lives apart. But he had decided that he had to tell her sooner rather than later and was planning on finding the right time to do so. As these thoughts ran through his head he looked over at Myrna, fidgeting nervously in the passenger seat. He reached over and took her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze of encouragement.

'You'll do fine,' he said to her, flashing her a toothy grin.

She just nodded at him in return and stared out the window. Myrna hated giving these lectures, he knew that. But he also knew that when she made a promise she would see it through. She had done this for the best interest of the tribe, of the library. She just wanted them to see the importance of their culture, and he admired her for that.

After they had arrived at the library and people filtered in, Embry noticed her looking around anxiously for someone. He knew she was looking for Claire and Quil. They had promised to be here but with the way the pack was at the moment and their resentment of Myrna, he knew they wouldn't be coming. Even if they had wanted to, they couldn't go against Sam. Luckily Sam hadn't issued any kind of Alpha order against Embry seeing her. He **had **to obey the order if given so Embry had taken to avoiding Emily's at all costs. He was worried that if he angered Sam any further he would have to make a choice between Myrna and the pack. And though he would always, always choose Myrna, the choice would be made for him.

Myrna quickly hugged Embry before going up to the podium. He saw her shaking slightly but made his way to his seat anyways. He couldn't help her now, no matter how much he wished he could. She began to read out the legend, noticeably calming down and taking comfort in the words she knew so well. But as she was reading, Embry detected a noticeable change in Myrna. She paused and he tried to catch her eye, to give her some sort of reassurance. After the pause she only got more nervous, starting to shake and making excuses to leave. He was confused. He knew she hated public speaking but not enough to stop mid-way and leave everyone hanging. Embry was unprepared for what happened next. She started to leave the podium, but not before throwing him a look, a look that broke his heart and tore at his soul.

The look Myrna gave him was a mixture of betrayal, hurt, and most of all fear. It was the fear that injured him the most. He had hoped that her knowledge of the legends would be in his favour but from what he could tell it had done the opposite. Wrapped in his thoughts, in his sadness and confusion, he barely saw Myrna bolt for the door of the library. When Embry pulled himself out of his own pity it was too late. Myrna had run from him and into the storm brewing outside. He had no idea where she would go but from the look on her face he knew she didn't either.

Embry ran out of the library, unphased by the storm. He could only think of the look on her face, a look he knew would haunt him for the rest of his days. As the rain hit him he only thought of Myrna, how she wouldn't be able to cope with this weather, how hurt she must be feeling. He had to explain himself. He had to show her that he loved her, that he wasn't trying to betray her only keep her safe, keep their love innocent.

He had no idea where to search first. He just ran, trying desperately to catch a sign of her. Embry maneuvered as quickly as he could through the forest. After 10 minutes he hadn't found Myrna and he was panicking, quickly losing his grip on rationality. Every minute she was out in this weather she was in danger, she was hurting. He phased into his wolf form, hoping to catch her scent or at least cover more ground. He hurried to Myrna's house but he could hear no footsteps, no gentle breathing, nothing. The house was eerily still.

In a panic Embry raced to Emily's house. He quickly phased back to his human form, slipping on the pants he had carried in his mouth. He ran into her house seeing that the whole pack was there having dinner.

'Please you have to help me!,'

He almost screamed it, sheer panic and desperation clearly on his face and in his voice.

'I know you don't like her. Hell you may even hate her but Myrna is missing in this storm and it's been a while and I'm afraid she's dead, or that she's lost and I don't know what to do and..' he continued to ramble on, worry clouding his mind. Quil stood up.

'What happened? Where was she last?,' Quil asked immediately.

Sure Myrna posed a threat to the safety of the pack's secret but he never wished any harm on her. She was innocent. She wasn't tainted with the troubles of the world like they were.

'She figured it out. She figured it all out. She's so smart y'know? I knew I couldn't keep it from her for long but she had this talk at the library and she connected all the dots and she just ran. I followed her but she darted into the woods and I didn't want to phase in case I made things worse between us. But after a while I couldn't find her and I went to her house and she's not there,' he looked at everyone, pleading them to help him.

'I don't know where she is and she's been out in this storm for so long. She doesn't know anyone outside of La Push but she was running towards Forks, she was running from me,' he trailed off, losing his trail of thought and beginning to wallow in self-pity.

Quil just looked at him sadly. He looked outside and shook his head. She wouldn't' have survived by now out there. It'd been getting worse for the past hour or so. Wherever she was, she had better be inside.

'Let's go,' Quil said quickly.

He had to pull Embry out of this and get to Myrna before it was too late. Embry gave him a weak smile that did nothing to reassure Quil. _We have to find her. If we don't Embry won't make it much longer. If she dies…he'll die with her, _Quil thought sadly to himself. Imprinting may seem romantic, a passionate and ardent love that could conquer all because it was destined. But the pack knew all too well the truth behind the optimistic notions and naive misconceptions. Imprinting was dangerous, not only for the imprint but also for the shape shifter. It was an all-consuming love that could easily become wicked and malicious. If it couldn't properly run it's course, the love would devour and destroy. Quil quickly dragged Embry outside, not caring whether the others helped out or not. Embry was his friend, his pack mate. There was no way he was going to let him destroy himself over this.

They quickly phased and ran through the forest, intent on finding Myrna no matter the cost. As time slowly dragged on, as the minutes passed and the realization that Myrna was no where to be found hit Embry he let out a heart breaking howl. It was filled with sadness, with a pain and longing that no one could truly understand unless they were in his place. Quil nudged him, hoping to knock him out of his state and make him realize he had to keep going, he couldn't lose hope yet. But as he did he caught something, a whiff of Myrna's scent. It was faint, the rain making it difficult to truly track. As he crouched lower, sniffing the air with his muzzle he tracked an all together different scent, one he hated with every fibre of his being. Embry, smelling the same scent and sharing Quil's thoughts, took off in its direction. He had smelt it too, Myrna's distinct perfume, the mix of old books and the forest that they both loved so much. But alongside it he could detect the bloodsuckers. Rage filled every corner of his mind while fury coursed through his veins and tightened his muscles. _They will not hurt her_, he yelled to himself and Quil and he darted through the forest towards the sleek ad modern Cullen house.

He was entirely unprepared for the scene in front of him. As he barrelled down the Cullen's driveway he saw Edward, his arm fiercely gripping Myrna's arm, her eyes wide with fear and realization. She was unhealthily pale and obviously weak. He felt a twinge in his heart, an irrational thought of betrayal. _How could she run from me into their arms?,_ he thought incredulously to himself. She fled from him in fear only to run to his enemies. But as he looked closer he could see her fear. It was practically radiating off her. He looked at the offender's hand, leaving marks on his imprint's skin. In that moment all he could see was red, a fierce rage that over took him completely. He bolted towards Edward, hoping not only to assert his dominance but also free Myrna from his grasp.

As he ran towards Edward, making sure not to hurt Myrna, he heard her scream. He stopped in his tracks, physically unable to move knowing that he was scaring Myrna, knowing that his beloved was afraid of his capabilities and unaware of his control. He felt hurt once more, knowing that Myrna truly didn't understand him in this state but realizing that her ignorance was his fault. _How is she supposed to know any different from what the legends tell her?,_ he thought to himself sadly and he stood a few feet in front of them. He looked at her, cowering in fear from not only himself but the bloodsucker that still had a death grip on her arm. He growled at Edward, hoping to somehow make him release her.

Edward released Myrna, knowing that he had overstepped the boundaries between shape shifter and vampire. He had merely been acting on Carlisle's inherent need to keep innocent humans like Myrna safe. Edward knew that Carlisle would never forgive himself if he let the human die and her returning to this storm would be suicide. He looked at the mutt, giving him a blank stare and removed his hand.

'Make sure she gets home safe. If she dies of hypothermia it's your fault not ours,' he said to Embry dully.

It wasn't his idea to intervene. He glanced at Myrna. She gave him a look of sheer terror. He just silently stepped back, showing the ridiculously jealous mutt that he meant no harm.

**A/N: **Hey everyone :). Sorry there was so much delay for this chapter. I work part time and go to uni full time so its been pretty hectic lately. Not a very good chapter to be honest. The ending is pretty flat. But the next one will be from Myrna's p.o.v so it'll be a bit more interesting/she has to come to terms with Embry's wolf-ness :). I wanted to highlight (again, and as I always tend to) the darkness of imprinting. In my mind, if you only have one imprint, one perfect 'soul mate' that makes you 'whole' (air quotes here used in a mocking tone) then you'd live the rest of your life 'un-whole' in a sense if you weren't allowed to properly fall in love and have a relationship with your imprint (i.e if she dies before they get together or some unforeseeable force pushes them apart). So the thought of losing Myrna to the storm would kill Embry (either in just a sense or actually kill him) because one, they would have left off their encounters in a horrible way with her feeling betrayed, and two, she would die in the storm and therefore the relationship between them and what 'wholeness' and 'eternal imprint-y happiness' they could have had is dashed. Hope I'm making myself clear (I tend to ramble, especially when I have too many parentheses! :) ). R& R if you please. I tried to make the format of this one better. Let me know if you liked it better the way before or if you want me to keep it this way. **And I just want to thank all the people who have reviewed so far. It means a lot to me. I'm not a review fisherwoman :). I'd rather have people review out of their own interest in my story than because I tell them to. So those who have thank you, because I know you mean it and they are lovely to hear! :)**


	11. Chapter 11

Hello! It has been an awfully long time, hasn't it? Since I last posted on here I have graduated from the University of Glasgow with a 2:1 honours in History, moved to California to help my dad out a bit, and now live with my sister in Southern California working temp for a company that makes an educational app for the kid's tablet it has created! It's not glamorous, but it does pay well and it gets me working on my editing/English language skills! Anyways, I hope whoever is still out there is doing well and that you didn't miss me too terribly (it has been absolutely ages!). I'm a bit rusty but I've looked over my old chapters and couldn't part with the story. I just loved it and thought my writing wasn't too shabby either. So please bear with me while I get back into the swing of things. My writing skills are definitely in need of some practice (especially as the job I have now requires me to break my sentences down to simple structures for 1st to 6th grade English lessons!). Let me know what you think, if you're still there, and how you all are doing!

Right now I kinda feel like I'm a bad stand-up comedian talking to an audience who is comprised of the club manager and his girlfriend…. -ScottishMelody

But there was no impact. Myrna didn't feel the massive collision she had been expecting, the connection of Embry's wolf form with her fragile human body held still by Edward's cold vice grip. There was only silence as she saw Cuilean, stopped in his tracks. Edward looked unphased, as if he knew Embry wouldn't dare harm his imprint. But Myrna couldn't think clearly anymore. The mix of adrenaline and sheer terror overwhelmed her senses and her legs began to shake. She looked at Cuilean fleetingly as she fell, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as her body gave up.

Embry saw Myrna fall and ran to her side. Edward got the hint and let go, stepping back. He had had enough of the drama surrounding imprints. It just seemed to cause more trouble than it was worth. Myrna fell against Embry's soft fur. He whimpered slightly, fearing for her health but also her reaction. He looked over to Quill only to see him run to the tree line. He ran to Embry, clothed and in human form, and picked up Myrna. He nodded to Embry, hoping to reassure him that she would be safe in his arms. She needed to get home. She needed rest. What she didn't need was to wake up to more shock, to a large wolf in her house, or worse, to Embry's heartbroken gaze.

Quill made it to her house, knowing the way like the back of his hand from all the shared thoughts while in his wolf form. Embry thought of nothing else. He contemplated a life with Myrna at nearly every patrol, how they would live together in this cozy little house at the edge of the woods, grow old together, live happily knowing each other inside and out. Quill shook his head as he entered Myrna's house, the hidden key nonchalantly peeking out from underneath the welcome mat.

He placed her on the bed, worry gnawing at his gut as he thought of the predicament Embry had landed himself in. The pack knew about his late night visits to see Myrna in his wolf form. He had become a reassuring and friendly presence in her life that she depended on. Sam was displease, annoyed that their secret was at risk. Having imprinted though, Sam couldn't really deny their connection or the desperation that Embry must have felt. He also couldn't fault the need to be her everything in whatever way she wanted. She wanted a friend, a non-threatening, non-judgemental outlet for the feelings she had always bottled up. Though the whole pack could tell that it would end in disaster, Embry wouldn't hear it. He believed her to be stronger than she really was. In the end, their suspicions had been correct, their fears had been realized, and Embry's heart had paid the price.

Tucking her safely into bed and making sure she had more blankets than she could ever need, he turned and made his way to Embry's. They were both in for a long night, Embry with his devastation and Quill with his task to fix the damage, to piece together what little he could of a situation that had gone past complicated.


	12. Chapter 12

Myrna awoke slowly, groggy and confused. Her head was aching. It throbbed, radiating through her skull. She had yet to open her eyes. Instead, she was content to stare at her eyelids in hope of some relief to the pain. She could remember little of what had happened the night before. Stretching out a tentative hand, she felt the sheets of her bed and moved on to the alarm clock on her nightstand. 'I'm in my own room at least,' she mumbled to herself as she settled in deeper into her blankets.

But as the pieces of the night slowly fell into place, she clutched at her head and groaned.

_Embry is Cuilean. _

_He is a shapshifter._

_Vampires exist._

_I'm going crazy._

Though her head continued to ache, she sat up in bed, trying to make sense of what her life had become. She had fallen in love with a man of the legends and myths that she had studied for years. She had fallen in love with a werewolf, with a shapeshifter, with something that was a part of a world she was distinctly NOT a part of. She was a spectator, always had been, and a few days ago she could have sworn she always would be. But now she wasn't so sure.

As her mind slowly started to awaken and as the pieces started to form a clear picture, she heard a knocking at the door. She was too tired to acknowledge it, and far too tired to actually get up and answer it. But the knocking persisted, harsh and demanding. She slowly brought her legs to the edge of the bed and started to stand. She pulled the blankets with her, creating a cocoon that she could only deem to be pathetic, yet apt given the situation at hand.

Myrna slowly made her way down the stairs and towards the door. Tentatively and with great panic, for she was expecting a downtrodden Embry who still struck fear into her heart, she opened the door. Instead, she was met with the sympathetic eyes of Quill. He had a lopsided but sad smile as she motioned him in. She knew he was the one to tuck her into bed last night. She was appreciative, albeit still slightly scared.

'So…' she said slowly after they had both sat down in the living room.

'How are you feeling…?' he asked gingerly as she sank deeper into her cocoon. 'Pretty horrendous,' she replied. 'Almost as bad as one of my worst hangovers,' she said offhandedly.

'I still haven't seen you drunk!' Quill said with a sly smile. 'Apparently you get insane, or so you say.'

All Myrna could do was smile. She had hoped and waited for friends. She had yearned for them. And here she was, with a friend she had not realized she had had. Yes, it was awkward, but she couldn't help but think about all that Quill had done. He had been there to rescue her. He helped her. He brought her home and tucked her in and made sure she was safe.

'That is true…' she said slowly.

Neither wanted to acknowledge the question that was on the tip of Myrna's tongue. Neither wanted to start the conversation that was waiting on the precipice of their awkward, yet strangely friendly, exchange. The silence continued and drew on as they looked away from each other.

'He is scared ya know. He misses you and he wants to make sure you're ok but he doesn't know how to go about it.'

Myrna just looked at him without an expression. She was trying so hard to hide all of the emotions she couldn't yet understand, let alone vocalize.

'He's hurting…'

Quill trailed off, but as he finished he realized how that phrase might have come across to Myrna.

'He knows it's his fault though!' Quill said, loudly, scrambling to correctly express his meaning. 'He just wishes it had been different. He wishes it had been….simpler.'

'So do I,' Myrna said quietly.

The silence continued. She had no idea how long Quill had intended to stay, or how long he intended to push this subject. But she decided, rather boldly, to be the first to discuss what they had previously left unsaid.

'So am I his…? Is it just like the legends? Are we…?' Myrna rambled on with a grimace as she stumbled over her words. _Just say it already…_ she scolded herself mentally.

'Yes. You're his imprint.' Quill said quickly, stifling whatever rambling thought Myrna would try to produce next.

She could tell he had tried to be matter of fact about it, but that he was too close to the situation to do anything but say it in the most sympathetic of tones. He was currently in his own traumatic experience with imprinting. He was strangely in love with a girl that could be his daughter. And it was not yet a romantic love but it was definitely an all-consuming love. And he knew one day it would turn into something more. He felt as though his life was already planned, and though there was dread lingering within that thought, there was also comfort and love and longing and gratefulness. He had found what many never find. He had found a love that would, in almost every case, stand the test of time and be a part of his life forever. Quill had found a permanence that life, by nature, was lacking.

'I know it may not seem like it now, but many people are grateful when they find their imprints.'

Myrna gave him the best withering look she could muster in the state she was currently in.

'No, no,' Quill grunted, frustrated at his own inability to communicate. _Embry should be doing this_, he thought to himself dryly. 'What I mean is, it definitely does not seem like it now. And I know it is scary and strange and almost beyond comprehension. But one day, maybe years from now, you'll take comfort in the fact that his love for you will _never waiver_. He will always love you.'

'Yes, but for no other reason than that his genes tell him to,' Myrna replied, incapable of seeing the romanticism behind this form of imprisonment. She was _bound_ to him, in the most Medieval of ways. _He will always love me, for no other reason than he has to. Who I am makes no difference. I am loved for a connection that cannot be quantified. I am loved because if not, he dies. I am loved because it keeps him alive._

Quill sat there, seeing her face contort with mixed feelings and mixed messages and mixed information. He could do nothing for her current state. Only Embry could sort this out. He was just a messenger, and a messenger who was failing badly to keep the message pure and clean and unsullied by the world outside of their magical, mystical realm of myth and legend. Because as Quill knew all too well, especially in the imprinting situation that he found himself in, the rationalities of the _real world_, the ideals and laws and rules and rigid social constructs weren't applicable to their way of life. They were outside of the realm of reality, and with that came its own set of rules.

Hello everyone! Very long time, very no see! So here is another chapter, probably a year after I wrote my last one? I got so stuck on the last one. I didn't know where it could possibly go. It felt like the story would wrap up quite soon after and I didn't know how to do that. So I'm just trying to write it all out and see where it goes, see if it has another twist in it or if it would just wrap up nicely in a little bow! We'll see! Thanks for sticking with me and for favoriting. It means a lot to know that people still read it and still really enjoy it! I'll try my best to update more (but even if I update in 10 months, I'm still updating 'more' than before eh? – no? not funny? too soon? :P )

Enjoy.

~ScottishMelody


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